Huge disparity between "Direct on Contract" at customer site and an "SAIC employee" - Information Assurance SAIC Employee Review

2.0
27 Feb 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fantastic at getting clearances crossed over. Generally hires at competitive salary rates especially if you are good at negotiating salary. If you are working as an overhead employee and "not" direct on contract - depending on your manager/supervisor - they can be great at providing training - up to around $5000/year. If you are in a position where you can work from home, they are pretty good about giving flexibility to do that on occassion - for instance, during the Jan 2010 snowstorm there were a LOT of employees (normal SAIC overhead employees) working from home.

Cons

Downside - if you are direct on contract (meaning, essentially the people pulling in the money for SAIC) it depends on your contract and program manager for training, etc. Forget working from home if your work is primarily in a secure environment. Many at the customer site are still trying to make up work on the weekends and nights from the snowstorm when we "wanted" to work but the gov buildings were shut down. Training direct on contract - unless it is in your contract that government will provide it - seems to completely be nonexistent on at least some contracts. Forget training. For education training - the $5000 they say they provide, you have to pay for it yourself first and it's understood that if everyone took advantage of it they couldn't provide it. HUGE discrepancy for those on contract. All those SAIC policies and guidances, individual development plans, etc.? it's a different beast and you need not worry about consistency. Not impressed by a long shot.

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5.0
6 Jun 2026
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Pros

Good salary and benefits now

Cons

Working for the government can be stressful

3.0
9 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Current Leadership: The management structure has stabilized significantly, and my current supervisor is excellent—supportive, engaged, and great to work with. Excellent Team Culture: The coworkers here are fantastic. There is a strong sense of camaraderie, and the team is incredibly supportive. Strong Compensation & Growth: The base pay is competitive and fair, and there is excellent opportunity for extra pay and overtime. From a professional development standpoint, I have learned an immense amount in my field over the past year. Enjoyable Travel: Excellent opportunities for work-related travel that adds great variety to the day-to-day routine.

Cons

Management Inconsistency Early On: My first supervisor took zero interest in team well-being, or development and the second had significant temperament issues that ultimately led to their departure. While it has been resolved now, Apparently management here like a lot of places is hit and miss. Heavy Workload: The workload can feel a bit overwhelming and intense at times. Striking a consistent work-life balance remains a challenge under the current demands. Role Expectation Mismatch: Some of the technical responsibilities and projects I have handled since joining were not clearly outlined or explained during the interview process. Navigating these unstated expectations alongside an already heavy workload has been a significant challenge.

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